Gold Coast to Host Magic Millions Amid Ongoing Track Poisoning Enigma

This Saturday’s renowned Magic Millions race day is poised to proceed at the Gold Coast track following a hectic week devoted to repairing a significant section of turf.

Last Friday, trainers, jockeys, and officials were left astonished upon discovering that part of the track had been poisoned.

Initially attributed to horse racing activists, no specific group has taken responsibility for the act, leading many to speculate that it might have been an unfortunate accident involving track personnel.

A turf expert was flown in from Flemington in Melbourne to provide critical guidance on addressing the issue.

Last weekend’s races were relocated down the coast to the Sunshine Coast.

After several days of intense work, Racing Queensland CEO Jason Scott informed Nine’s Today on Thursday that the track is nearly ready.

On Thursday morning, half a dozen horses were tested on the track, and jockeys subsequently declared it fit for racing.

“I have every confidence,” Scott stated.

“The team that conducted the repairs possesses vast experience, and prominent trainers like Chris Waller inspected the turf yesterday.

“I would be astounded if we didn’t hold the races at the Gold Coast on Saturday.”

“The grass was entirely lifeless. By Saturday morning, it was unmistakably dead, indicating that some form of poison had been applied.”

“We’ll look into how this occurred and if any vandals were involved in the week ahead, but for now, our focus is on ensuring we can race on Saturday.”

Earlier in the week, Scott had expressed uncertainty regarding the claims of protester involvement in the poisoning.

While an investigation is currently underway, no conclusions have been reached thus far.

“I would be surprised if this was the work of vandals,” Scott commented on SEN radio.

“We’ll make a decision by Thursday morning; we cannot afford to delay, especially with numerous people travelling to Queensland … so we won’t prolong this.”

“We are fully committed to making it happen there.”

“We’ve been assured that the track will be ready by Wednesday morning at the latest, and then we need to put horses over it.”

Some reports have suggested that the staff might have made an error in their preparations and are attempting to attribute the blame to protesters.

The 10-race programme, which crowns a significant week that includes the sale of the nation’s top yearlings, represents the pinnacle of race day events on the Gold Coast.